Acetylene-gas apparatus.



M. J. DETMER.

AGETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 26, 1912.

Patented June 17 1913.

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M. J. DETMER.

AGETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1912.

Patented June 17, 1913.

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MARTIN J. DETMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ACE'IYLENE-GAS APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 26, 1912.

Patented June 17,1913. Serial No. 705,924.

To all whom 2'23 may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN J. DETMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene- Gas Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to acetylene-gas apparatus and more specifically to mechanism for automatically feeding the carbid to the gas generator.

The object of my invention is the production of feeding mechanism of the character mentioned which will be durable and economical in construction, and positive and efficient in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a feeding device for acetylene-gas apparatus embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a partial sectional side elevation thereof, Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on line w-m of Fig. 2, Fig. 1 is an enlarged perspective of the cylindrical carbid conveyer included in the construction, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the grate cooperating with the conveyer shown in Fig. 4.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawings comprises a substantially rectangular body formed of a lower end portion 1 and an upper end portion 2, the adjoining edges of the parts 1 and 2 being provided with outwardly projecting flanges 3 which are connected by screws or other suitable fastening devices 4. A gasket 5 is interposed between said flanges and one of the flanges 3 is provided with a bead 6 which is adapted to cotiperate with a complemental recess .6 for cooperation with the gasket 5 in insuring a tight connection. The upper end of the body constitutes a carbid chamber which is accessible through a screw cap 7 Arranged in the member 1 is a hopper 8 which is rigidly secured in position by reason of the upper edge thereof being clamped between one of the flanges 3 and the corresponding portion of the gasket 5. The hop:

per 8 forms the bottom of the carbid chamber and is adapted, when the device is in operation, to automatically direct the particles of carbid toward the discharge opening 8 of said hopper.

Formed in the bottom of the lower body part 1 is a circular opening 9 which is traversed by a circular grate 10, a pipe 11 leading to the acetylene-gas generator not shown. Said grate and the pipe 11 are securely fastened to the member 1 by means of bolts 12 and nuts 13, a gasket 14 being provided for insuring a tight connection. Rotatably mounted upon the grate 10 is a cylinder 15. The spindle 16 to which the cylinder 15 is secured is mounted at its lower end in a bearing 17 formed centrally rn grate 10, the upper end of said spindle being rotatably mounted in a bearing formed at the juncture of the arms 18 and 18 secured to and inwardly projecting from the lateral walls of member 1.

The interior of cylinder 15 is divided by a plurality of radially disposed partitio ns 19 nto a plurality of segmental compartments 20. Said compartments 20 are open at their upper ends, said ends registering with the discharge opening 8 of hopper 8, the construction being such that, when the cylinder 15 is rotated, said compartments will be brought successively into registration with said discharge opening to receive a supply of carbid which will be automatically dlscharged from said discharge opening providlng any carbid is contained in the hopper. A

The lower ends of compartments 20 are normally closed by hinged closures 21 which are swlngingly connected, as shown in 4 with the lower ends of partitions 19. The closures 21 are normally held in elevated or closed position by contact with the grate 10. Said grate is, however, provided at one slde with a segmental opening 22 for registration with the closures 21, said closures, when in registration with saidopening, being adapted to drop by gravity to open position in order to discharge the contents of the corresponding compartments 20. Vith this construction it will be seen that, except, when said closures 21 are in registration with the opening 22, the same will be in elevated position closing the lower ends of compartments 20. As the same are brought into registration with the opening 22 through the rotation of the cylinder 15 said closures will successively drop to open position and then be successively moved to closing position by contact with the edge 22 to such opening. A grate 1.0 is employed instead of a solid plate and saic grate is formed by a plurality of circular concentric bars in order to reduce the friction incident to the contact of closures 21 therewith, to a minimum and to preclude the possibility of interruption of closures 21 in sliding upon said member 10 because of clogging such as might otherwise result where an imperforate plate is used by reason of accumulations of the granulated chemical upon the upper side thereof.

lVith the construction set forth it will be seen that rotation of the cylinder 15 will effect the transfer of carbid from the dis charge end of hopper 8 to the pipe 1.1 which leads to the gas enerator. Rotation of said cylinder is effected by means of a bevel gear 23 provided at the upper end of spindle 16, said gear meshing with a bevel gear 24E which is provided upon a shaft 25 mounted in bearings '26 and 27, the bearing 27 being suitably packed in order to prevent leakage, as shown. Mounted upon the eXteriorly projecting end of shaft 25 is a channel wheel 28. Said channel wheel is operatively connected with the shaft 25 through the medium of a pawl and ratchet device 25) and so that said shaft will be driven by said wheel in order to rotate the cylinder 15, only during rotation of said wheel in one direction.

In use, the wheel 28 will be connected with the vertically movable bell of the conventional gas tank by means of a flexible element 30, the lower end of which is secured to the periphery of said wheel, as shown. The arrangel'nent is such that upon upward pulling upon said cord, caused by the lowering of the gas bell (said lowering of the bell indicating the exhaust of the supply in the gas tank) said wheel 28 will be operatively rotated in order to feed carbid to the gas generator and consequently to replenish the supply of gas in the gas tank. A weight 31 cooperates with the wheel 28 to effect retrograde rotation thereof when the flexible element 30 is slackened by reason of the elevation of the gas tank bell caused by the supplying of gas to the tank, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

A feeding mechanism of the construction set forth will be found positive and quick acting in operation and adapted to effectually serve the purpose for which the same is designed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A feeding device for acetylene-gas apparatus comprising a hopper having a discharge opening at its lower end; a rotatable cylinder arranged below said hopper, the interior of said cylinder being divided into a plurality of upwardly opening compartments adapted to be successively brought into registration with said discharge opening when said cylinder is rotated; closures for said compartments hingedly secured to the lower ends thereof; and a foraminated plate upon which said closures are adapted to ride during the rotation of said cylinder, said plate serving to hold said closures in closing position, there being an opening in said plate communicating with said gas generator, said closures being adapted, when said cylinder is rotated, to successively reg-,

ister with said opening to permit of downward swinging of said closures, substantially as described.

2. A feeding mechanism for acetylene gas apparatus comprising a hopper having a discharge opening at its lower end, a rotatable cylinder arranged below said hopper, and having a series of vertically extending walls forming a plurality of upwardly open ing compartments adapted to be successively brought. into registration with the discharge opening of said hopper when said cylinder is rotated, the said cylinder being provided with closures hingedly mounted on the lower ends of said cylinder walls, and a foraminated plate upon which said closures are adapted to ride during the rotation of said cylinder, said plate serving to hold said closures in closing position, and being pro vided with an opening communicating with said gas generator, said closures adapted when said cylinder is rotated, to successively register with said opening to permit the downward swinging of said closures, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN J. DETMER.

Witnesses JOSHUA R. H. Porrs, ARTHUR A. OLSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

